NEW YORK After the Mets traded Freddy Peralta on Sunday afternoon, Clay Holmes could be next.The Mets shipped Peralta to the Rays in exchange for three prospects during their loss to the Marlins at Citi Field on Sunday.While other Mets on expiring deals like lefty reliever Brooks Raley are expected to get traded before Mondays 6 p.m. ET deadline, Holmes could be one of the Mets biggest pieces.ITS FREE: JOIN OUR METS COMMUNITY ON YOUTUBE!Tarik Skubal, widely regarded as the best pitcher available, was traded to the Dodgers late Saturday night. The Blue Jays then traded Kevin Gausman to the pitching-starved Cubs on Sunday evening. That leaves Holmes as one of the best options still available. Earlier this summer, there was still a chance that Holmes would stick with the Mets beyond the deadline. The right-hander was open to an extension, but those talks fizzled as the Mets solidified their status as sellers. Now all signs point toward a trade. The Mets are operating as if Holmes is on an expiring deal because of his $12 million player option, which he will likely reject. With his track record, the way he was pitching before he got hurt in May (a 2.39 ERA), and a weak free-agent class, Holmes stands to benefit from testing the open market.Holmes is still on the injured list, but hes done more than enough to give other teams confidence that hes ready to pitch on a big-league mound again. Even with rumors swirling, the Mets let Holmes make a third rehab assignment start on Sunday. He tossed 5 1/3 innings with High-A Brooklyn, giving up four runs (three earned) while throwing 73 pitches. That puts Holmes in a position to make a start against MLB hitters in his next turn this week. If the package of prospects the Mets got back from Tampa Bay is any indication, they are poised to acquire a handful of talented pieces for Holmes. For Peralta, the Mets added three of the Rays top-30 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. All three players outfielder Aidan Smith, right-hander Gary Gill Hill and infielder Emilien Pitre are now positioned within the Mets top-17 prospects, per MLB Pipelines updated rankings.Because of Holmes most recent success, the return for him should be better than it was for Peralta. It also helps the Mets that there are contenders desperate for starting-pitching reinforcements.Raley, similarly, should bring the Mets a better return than they received for fellow lefty rental A.J. Minter when he was traded to the Twins a few days ago. Its a different conversation from what the Mets got back overnight from the White Sox in exchange for Huascar Brazobn (right-handers Gabe Davis and Zach Franklin). Brazobn is under team control for three more years after this one. New York could acquire even more prospect capital if theyre comfortable moving set-up man Luke Weaver, who wont be a free agent until after next season. Brazobn, Raley and Weaver each pitched a scoreless frame in relief for the Mets on Sunday, a microcosm of New Yorks season in which the bullpen did the job and the lineup didnt. New York was 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position, getting shut out for the 11th time in 2026. Outfielders Tyrone Taylor and Luis Robert Jr. are also expected to be dealt before Monday night. MORE BY MAX GOODMANMets make another trade, send reliever to AL contenderAug. 3, 2026, 5:00 a.m.Who Mets got back in Freddy Peralta trade with RaysAug. 2, 2026, 10:58 p.m.Taylor is a traditional rental bat who will be a free agent at the end of this season. Contenders in need of a fourth outfielder and a right-handed presence on their bench will be enticed by Taylors recent hot streak at the plate along with his defensive track record. The veteran outfielder is batting .341 with a 1.389 OPS and seven home runs in his last 41 at-bats dating back to July 4.Roberts numbers, on the other hand, arent as attractive. Since returning from another lengthy stint on the injured list earlier this summer, Robert has shown flashes of his prodigious power and offensive upside, but hes batting .135 (5-for-37) in 11 games with two homers. It doesnt make sense for the Mets to keep Robert since their outfield will include Juan Soto, Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing. Robert has a club option for next year at $20 million, so another team that trades for him has the flexibility to cut ties at the end of the year or bet on his upside for 2027 if it is open to paying his contract. Its also possible that the Mets eat some of Roberts salary to make that type of trade more likely. Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here.